A Day at the Beach
by Zanza Flux
Summary: TF: Prime - A lone predacon finds himself in a rather strange situation when he decides to rest on a beach. What he encounters there will change the way he thinks.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: This is my first story on this site so constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Transformers or any of the characters within. I only own any OCs used in this story. Enjoy.

* * *

A Day at the Beach

Chapter 1

High above the skies above the Jasper Nevada, a lone figure glides over the ruined landscape below it. Burning yellow optics scan the area for any signs of movement. Dark wings barely make a sound as the predacon sweeps and dips through the air. It relishes the warm breeze that buffers its sleek body. He huffs softly as he remembers the circumstances that has brought it to this point.

_**One cycle earlier aboard the landing deck of Darkmount…**_

"Stupid beast!" the gravelly voice of Starscream can be heard echoing down the empty halls. He can be seen shocking the hindquarters of the predacon with a long metal rod. The creature screeches its displeasure and swings its head around to stare at the hated seeker. Its spiked tail twitches and sways as it backs away from the stinging rod.

"You will learn to obey me or you will continue to be punished." the seeker hisses through clenched teeth. The predacon growls and lowers his head as a clear threat display that Starscream is choosing to ignore. His claws lightly scrape at the deck as he anticipates the seeker's next move.

"Starscream. Stand down before you get hurt." The seeker backs away and eyes the owner of the voice. A large mech with a single red optic walks past him without a single glance. "Come, my creation." The predacon murmured softly and approaches his creator.

"Shockwave." Starscream snarls. "Your pet is incorrigible!" He watches as the seeker's face morphs from surprised to disgust as Shockwave caresses the crest on his head with his clawed servo. He knows Starscream does not trust him. He may suspect that he is a lot smarter than the others think. Starscream watches him all the time and he hates it.

Shockwave makes a point to ignore the moody seeker as he addresses the predacon. "Go my creation. Patrol the area and make sure you are not seen by the populous" The predacon bows his head and presses against Shockwave's clawed servo. His creator's monotone voice is a soothing balm compared to the grating one of the seeker. He growls softly to confirm the order before turning around to lumber to the edge of the flight deck. He unfurls his dark wings and leaps off and into the air.

_**One cycle later…**_

The predacon shakes his head. He often wondered why his master, Megatron, keeps that seeker around. As Alpha, Megatron needs to put him in his place. If the seeker continues to antagonize him, he _will_ tear him apart. The image of ripping the wings off Starscream and throwing him off the flight deck sends a ripple of dark pleasure through his body. So lost in his own thoughts, he did not notice he was no longer flying over the desert. Off in the distance he could see a large body of water. The way the sunlight shimmers on the surface of the water attracts his attention and he changes his course.

Ever since he awoken inside that tank in Shockwave's lab, he has done nothing but hunt and be humiliated by that seeker. He had often wanted to do a little exploring but the chance never seemed to present itself, until now. For once, he let his curiosity get the best of him. Angling his body, he dives towards the water. He shutters his optics and lets his body glide a few feet above the water. The air here is so different from desert. He vents deeply as he notices the air smells salty and is kind of moist. The sensation is odd but not at all unpleasant. He reaches down and dips his claws into the water. The warm salty water sprays up his forearm and his underbelly. He rumbles softly in pleasure as the water splashes against his plating. He tilted his body from side to side, dipping the edge of his wings into the water. He knows that if Shockwave was here, he would not approve, but right now, he cannot find it in himself to care.

He opens his optics and catches the sight of land off to his side. Venting softly, he pumps his wings to gain more height before twisting his body and diving towards the sand. He notices there are a few dwellings that line a part of the land that is close to the water. He avoids those areas in favor for a part that has a rocky outcropping. They are large enough to hide him from any of the fleshlings that might be wandering about. He hovers above the sand for a few seconds before landing soundlessly. He looks around to make sure he is truly alone before settling down on the soft sand. He folds his wings close to his body and revels in the warmth of the sun and the surrounding rock wall against his plating. He lays his head down on top of his fore claws. Slowly he shutters his optics as he lets the sound of the waves lull him into a light recharge.

* * *

'_What is that sound?_' He grumbles softly and wonders who is fool enough to wake him from his pleasurable recharge. He opens his optics and has to refresh them a few times to clear his vision. Sitting about twenty feet from his position was a tiny fleshing. It had its back to him and seemed to be playing in the sand. His optic ridges furrowed in confusion. He is quite certain it was not there before. He does not think the little fleshling even knew he was here because he would have heard screaming or something. He lifts his head and tilts it to the side a bit. He had never been this close to one before. He had been a little curious about them ever since he encountered the ones that traveled with the Autobots. This would be the perfect opportunity to satisfy his curiosity.

The predacon slowly uncurled himself from the spot he was resting in. He notices with amusement that his lumbering steps were muffled by the surrounding sand. The little fleshing wont even notice he is there until it is too late. If it screams, he will have no problem beheading it before any of the fleshlings in the area can hear it. Slowly he creeps up behind it. His audios pick up its high pitched voice as it giggles and throws sand in the air. Within moment his large form is looming over the tiny body in front of him. Growling softly, he watches the body of the small fleshling stiffens and stare at the shadow he is casting across it. Chortling in amusement, he waits for the tiny form to turn and look at him. The predacon had expected quite a few things to happen. Screaming, calling out for help, and maybe trying to run for its life. It would not get very far on such short legs, but it would have been funny to watch it try. Nothing could have prepared him for this.

The tiny form was just standing there, staring at him with large brown optics and not making a sound. Maybe the little fleshling's processor crashed at the mere sight of him. He fought the urge to fidget in discomfort as the fleshling raked over his form with its optics. It blinked a few times before a wide smile seemed to split its face. Yeah, this is definitely not what he was expecting. He watched as it pointed towards him and yelled out in merriment "Dwagon!"

'…_dwagon? What is a dwagon?' _

His optic ridges furrow with slight confusion. He tilted his head to the side and watched at the fleshling walks up to him. It seems almost excited to be in his presence. This was new for him. From the moment he stepped before his master Megatron, everyone around him has shown him nothing but fear. Fear and in the case of that accursed seeker, loathing. This little one was curious and awestruck. He huffs through his vents and notices the way it jumps a little as the warm air gusts over its body. Still, it does not back away and is actually reaching up to him. He turns his head to the side just to see if anymore fleshlings are around. Seeing that they are still alone, he tilts his head downward to get a closer look.

As soon as his head came within range, the fleshling reaches out with its tiny servos and touches his face. The first thing he notices is that its servos were very softly. Heat seemed to radiate from them. It did not seem to have any claws. He thought that was very odd. How did it protect itself with no claws? As he studied the little fleshling's face, the top of its head was crowned by long light brown filaments. Every time it moved its head, the sun made the filaments shimmer with a slightly reddish tinge. It was quite fascinating. Its face was round with large, dark brown optics. It had a tiny nose. He doubt its sense of smell was very good with such a small snout. He did notice it seemed to vent through it and its open mouth. It was smiling at him and he noticed how small its fangs were.

'_How did it protect itself with no claws or fangs?_'

Its soft outer casing was covered in some sort of flimsy cloth armor. The top part was a bright pink that covered its torso and the bottom was white. That part did not even cover its legs all the way. For such delicate looking creatures, you would think they would wear more armor than this.

Narrowing his optics and adjusting his audio's sensitivity, he tried to take in details beyond surface details. His audios were picking up a small double beat of something emanating from its chest. He knew it was not a spark. He did not pick up a spark signature from it. Maybe it was some kind of pumping system. Pumping what, he was not sure. It was not energon. He would have detected that as well. This piqued his curiosity even more. Maybe he could find out what it is. What keeps this little creature alive. It would be easy. The outer casing of the fleshling was so soft, he could easily cut through it with his claw. He could do it so fast, it would have no time to cry out. It was one of many in its herd. He was sure it would not be missed. His optics gleam with the thought of seeing its insides.

'_A small one in the crowd of many. No one will know you are gone…'_

To be concluded…


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you to those who favored and reviewed my story!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Transformers or any of the characters within. I only own any OCs used in this story. Enjoy. 

* * *

A Day at the Beach

Chapter 2 

The little fleshling is standing before the predacon completely unaware of what is going on in his mind.

"Wow, your skin feels like metal. I thought dwagons had scales… Why don't you have scales Mr. Dwagon?"

The little fleshling looked up into his optics. No fear, just confusion written on its face. It did not matter at the moment. All he needed to do was keep it distracted. It failed to notice a single claw inching its way closer.

'_Just a little closer. I will make it quick little one. Then I will…_'

His processor seemed to lock up and his claw hovers a few feet from the back of the fleshling's head. Something is wrong. Thoughts assault him! A small voice echoes through his processor and in his confusion he cannot tell if it is his own.

'_**Young… so young… young … too trusting… trusting… innocent… young and innocent… weak and helpless… sparkling…**_'

The Predacon's head shot up so quickly, it caused the tiny fleshling to fall back on its rear. His optics flicker and dim as the voice repeats itself over and over.

He shutters his optics tightly and shakes his massive head as he tries desperately to stop the insistent voice. Venting heavily he begins to feel something he has never felt before: _panic_. So distraught he was he never notice the small whimpering sounds that escaped his vocalizer.

'_I need to leave this place! I need to fly! I do not know what is happening, Why wont it stop?!_'

His jumbled thoughts were interrupted by a strange sensation. Something was touching him. Something warm and…small. He opened his optics slowly to a sight that made his spark jump. The little fleshly was standing next to his claw. One of its tiny servos was stroking the side of his claw in a comforting manner while the other was fisting the cloth of its top armor. The look of concern on its face made him wince internally and gave him enough time to calm down. The echo in his processor quieted and he began to control his heavy venting.

"Are you okay Mr. Dwagon? Are you hurt? Maybe I should get my momma. She can help. She helps me when I get hurt."

The little one was concerned for him? A twinge of guilt constricted his spark. If only it knew what he was about to do, it would not be so nice to him.

"Should I bring my momma?" the little one asked. No, the last thing he needed was another fleshling around, especially if the other thought he was going to hurt the little one. He quickly shook his head to that question.

"Are you okay?" Sometimes he wished he had the ability to smile, if only to reassure the little one that he was alright. A simple head nod would have to do and lucky for him, it accepted that. It gave him a few more strokes to his claw before backing away with a warm smile on its face. It turned and headed back down towards the water, leaving him to his thoughts. 

* * *

Sighing through his vents, he trudged back to the spot he was resting by the large rock face. He collapses down into the soft sand. He stares out at the glistening body of water and lets his processor wander. This was not the first time something like this happened to him. It was never this intense though. Sometimes it confused him that he would know of certain things without anyone teaching him. From the moments he opened his optics within the tank in Shockwave's lab, he could do things without instruction. He could walk, fly, and breath fire without anyone teaching him how. Even hunting down his prey came naturally to him. He could feel it in his processor. A slight nudge in the right direction or images flashing across his optics…a voice whispering to him almost too faint to understand. He just chalked it up to instinct and left it at that. However, what happened between him and the fleshling was more than just instinct and that worried him.

He has never seen the young of his kind but he knows deep down he would never stoop so low as to harm one. Maybe…maybe the fleshling was like a sparkling of his kind. If that is the case, he is glad he was stopped.

His musings were interrupted when something bounced off his chest. He tilted his head in slight confusion as a red sphere rolled away from him and was scooped up into the arms of the little fleshling. He watches as it runs up to him with a huge smile on its face. He cocks an optic ridge in question as it jumps up and down.

"Come Mr. Dwagon, lets play!" It giggles and tosses the sphere to him. It rolls across the sand until it rolls to a stop between his fore claws.

'_Play?' _

He huffs softly and stares from the sphere to the fleshling and back to the sphere again. What exactly did it want him to do with this thing? He has never "played" before. He is not sure how to go about it. A small bout of laugher caught his attention and he looked towards the fleshling.

" Come on Mr. Dwagon! Just pick it up and throw it back!" it clapped its tiny servos together a few times before holding them out to him.

He looks back down at the sphere and chortles softly. He lifts his claw and taps the sphere as carefully as he could. It is way too small for him to grip it without damaging it. He cocks his claw slightly and flicks the sphere as gently as possible. He watches with amusement as the little fleshling runs after it. It trips in the sand a few times but it does not seem to mind. It laughs and jumps on the sphere before it touches the water. Brushing the sand off the sphere, it runs back to him. Once it gets within ten feet of him, it rolls the sphere back to him. By this time, he understands the game and repeats his last action much to the delight of the little one. He finds to his surprise that he is actually having fun.

"Hey Mr. Dwagon! Catch this!" The little fleshling runs a little closer to him. It squats in the sand and gets a look of concentration on its face. All of a sudden it jumps up and tosses the ball straight into the air.

His optic ridges shoot up in surprise as he watches the red sphere rise into the air. Without a second thought, he opens his maw and snatches it up in mid air. That sudden action surprised him. He was not sure why he did it in the first place, but it was not unpleasant. It felt weird to have the rubbery thing rolling around in his mouth. He leans over the fleshling and opens his mouth, letting the sphere drop. His audios picked up a squeal of delight as the sphere bounces in the sand before the little one fumbles to catch it in its servos.

"Yay, you did it! Lets do that again!"

He had to admit, aside from hunting down the Autobots, he was having a lot of fun. The fleshling tossed the sphere up, he lightly snapped it up in his jaws, only to drop it for the little one to catch. Sometimes it had to chase it down the beach, sometimes it bounced a few times before being caught, and sometimes it managed to catch it on the first try. All the while it laughed, cheered, and clapped. Neither he nor the fleshling knew how long they were playing but they did not seem to care. They were comfortable in each other's company. Their merriment, unfortunately, was interrupted by a new voice:

"Rosey! Rosey!? Baby, it's time to come in for lunch!"

The predacon's head snaps up and turns towards the sound. He hisses his displeasure and his tail whips from side to side in annoyance. Someone was interrupting their fun and he was not happy about that. To his surprise, the little one runs down the beach and seems to address someone on the other side of the rock face.

"I'm here momma! I'll be right there!" The fleshling waves and turns to face him with a big smile on its face. The smile seems to slip a little and sadness creeps into its optics. It walks back towards him, almost dragging its feet as it got closer.

"I'm sorry Mr. Dwagon. I have to go. My momma wants me to come home. I had a lot of fun with you!"

A small whimper escaped his vocalizor before he could stop it. It was leaving him! They were just starting to have fun and it had to go. His spark sank a little at the thought that he might not see the little one again. He watches the fleshling as it walked up to him with the sphere clutched in its tiny servos. It puts it down in front of him and looks up at him with a small smile on its face.

"Here, you can have my ball. When you come back, we can play again!"

Again, he wished he could smile. He had never received a gift before. He nodded his massive head before lowering it until it was within the fleshling's reach. He felt that soft, warm servo stroke his chin and he could not help but shutter his optics. He began to purr before he could stop himself and his audios picked up the sound of its high pitched laughter.

"Bye bye Mr. Dwagon. I hope I get to see you again"

He could feel the tiny body move away from him and his spark ached at the loss of warmth. Opening his optics, he watches as the fleshling scurries down the beach and run around the rock face to meet the one that was calling to it. He waited a few moment before getting up, pressing his body against the rock face and carefully taking a peak at where the fleshling was going. He watched as it ran up to a taller fleshling. The taller one scooped the smaller one up in its arms and twirled around. Looking at them both together, he could tell they both shared similar physical traits. They…hugged.

'_That must be its creator.'_

He adjusts his audios to listen in on their conversation. There was a twinge of panic that runs through him. He hopes the little one does not tell its creator about him.

"Ah, here's my big girl!" the taller one coos.

'_Girl?! Oh, the little one is a femme?' _he thought with slight amusement. In all that time, he could not tell.

"Baby? Where's your ball? Did you loose it?"

"No momma, I didn't loose it. I gave it to Mr. Dwagon!" The little one flashed its creator a bright smile.

He felt his spark sinks as he watched the little one tell her creator about him. Shockwave had specifically told him not to be seen by the fleshlings. He already disobeyed his order by approaching the little one. He did not want others knowing about him. He soon realized he did not have to worry about that as he saw a look of disbelief on the taller one's face.

"A dragon? You gave your ball…to a dragon?"

"Yup!" The little one nods her head vigorously. "We were playing together."

"Well, that's nice honey." Clearly, the taller one was just humoring its creation.

"Come one, lets have some lunch. We have pizza!"

He watches as the taller fleshling turned its back to him and carried the little one away. The little one looked over her creator's shoulder and locked optics with him. She flashed him a tiny smile and waved her tiny servo at him. His optics softened a bit as he watched their retreating forms head towards one of the many dwellings he saw earlier.

He backs up and sits on his haunches. His processor begins to wander as he thinks about what happened today. Never in his short existence did he ever think he could learn something from such tiny creatures. He learned that it was kind of nice not to be feared all the time, to have someone talk TO you instead of down to you, and playing was very entertaining. He felt a warmth in his spark and he knew he had the little fleshling to thank for that. It saddens him that he has to leave, but he knows Shockwave or Megatron will be hailing him soon…

'_They probably want me to hunt down the Autobots again.' _he thought with a slight grumble. Really, is that all there is for him? Hunting and being punished if he does not follow a certain seeker's command? No! There has to be more to his existence than this! He shook his head, completely shocked by his own thoughts. Maybe this is all he really needed. To get away from the others and think for himself for a change.

He spies the little red sphere sitting in the sand and he purrs softly. His very first gift and given to him by a species that his masters think are insignificant. Such a simple little thing but it brings him a little happiness. He is not leaving it behind! He stoops down and snatches the sphere up gently into his maw. He unfurls his wings and just as quietly as he came, jumps up into the air and takes off. He takes one last look at the sunlight reflecting off the crashing waves and the dwellings where the little fleshling resides before twisting his body to set a course for home. 

* * *

_**A few cycles later back at Darkmount…**_

After such a long flight, all the predacon wants to do is curl up in the corner of the flight deck and slip into a blissful recharge. Unfortunately this is when that accursed seeker decides to bother him.

"Well well well, look who finally returned." Starscream sneers at him. "How nice of you to grace us with your presence."

Oh the sarcasm. He really did not miss this at all. Every time Starscream opens his mouth, nothing good comes out of it. He suppose it was a good thing he got away from the seeker for a little while. He does not feel like ripping his head off as strongly as he usually does. He simply huffs through his vents and ignores him.

"I do not understand why Megatron relies on you so much. As far as I'm concerned you are nothing more than a failed experiment. Shockwave should have left you in that tank." With those last venomous words, Starscream turns and stalks away.

He only made it about half way to the exit when something flew across the deck and clocked him against the back of his helm hard. So hard in fact that he nearly tripped over his own peds.

"What the frag was that?!" Starscream bellowed before turning back to face the predacon. What he saw almost made his processor crash.

A small red sphere bounced down the deck and came to a stop by the predacon's claws. Starscream thought he heard the beast chortle before snatching the sphere up into his mouth. He watched with a look of utter bewilderment as the predacon snaps his head up to toss the sphere in the air only to catch it again. It did this a few times before it stopped and stared at the seeker.

"I…I think I better go. I need some high grade right about now.." Starscream turned on unsteady peds and walked away.

The predacon watched him leave. That look on the seeker's face was quite amusing. He gently spit the sphere out of his mouth and tucked it close to his chest plate for safe keeping. He definitely loves his new gift. He is going to have so much fun with it. He vows that one day, he will properly thank the one that gave it to him.

The End.


End file.
